Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala is excited to return to Spain to try her luck in the Mutua Madrid Open starting Tuesday. Eala, 19, said she is looking forward to competing as she braces for two more Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournaments after her incredible run in the Miami Open last March. The Rafael Nadal Academy-trained player is also slated to compete in the Italian Open in Rome from 6 to 18 May. “Super excited, you know. It’s Madrid, I always love going back there and Rome will be my first time, so, so much to look forward to,” Eala said. “I think my goal for this play season, especially after Miami, is just to do better than last year and improve my game on clay. It’s quite a short period of time compared to hard. So, yeah, just to feel myself do better, and feel myself keeping the level.” Eala is coming off an early exit in the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal last Thursday after a 6-7, 4-6 loss against world No. 137 Panna Udvardy of Hungary in the Round of 16. Last year’s Madrid Open was Eala’s best finish in a WTA 1000 prior to her Miami Open run. Eala made it as far as the Round of 64 before she lost to Sorana Cîrstea of Romania, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6. Meanwhile, this will be the first time the three-time Junior Grand Slam champion will be competing in the Italian Open. Eala is expected to cross paths with world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland and world No. 5 Madison Keys of the United States after beating them in the Miami Open. Eala is building up for this year’s French Open, which starts on 25 May, and Eala is doing her best to adapt to playing clay. “I think the weather definitely affects clay courts more in terms of changes of conditions than other surfaces,” Eala said. “I can’t say that it was a disadvantage or whatever, it’s just how the court was.”